Podcast

Planning and getting through the MBA application process can be a daunting task. Where should you start, how should you map out the next year so that everything gets done and gets done well - like when to take the GMAT, when to make your list of schools, when should you actually fill out the application. On this MBA Podcaster show admissions consultants and students give you solid advice on when to start your MBA application process. Some of the issues they'll address include research, how and when to tackle the application, the GMAT, managing recommenders and school visits. And they will help you plan your candidacy from 2 years, 1 year, and 6 months before you apply.

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You’ve decided to apply to business school. Planning and getting through application process can be a daunting task. Where should you start, how should you map out the next year so that everything gets done and gets done well – like when to take the GMAT, when to make your list of schools, when should you actually fill out the application. This MBA Podcaster show is titled MBA Timeline: What To Do and When Should You Do It.In this podcast, admissions consultants and students give you solid advice on when to start your MBA application process. Some of the issues they’ll address include research, how and when to tackle the application and school visits. And they will help plan your candidacy from 2 years, 1 year, and 6 months before you apply. Yes, possibly two years in advance, but you could start six months out if…

Massar1 You have a great career path, you have lots of extracurriculars, you are a leader in work and outside of work and you say ‘ok, I’m ready to go to business school and I have a 3.6 from Princeton and I’m sure I’ll get an 800 or something on my GMATS. Most people don’t fall into that category.Any one of those moving parts can be worked on.

That’s Betsy Massar.She is the founder and CEO of Master Admissions, a consulting firm that advises people on how to get into MBA programs.

The Princeton applicant is the exception to the rule, so if you’re not that person, when to start?

Graham Richmond is the CEO of Clear Admit.

Richmond1 Clearly it’s never too early to start thinking about it. We get clients who are in college and thinking about business school already and trying to plan long-term.

Why as an undergraduate? Because academic performance is one of the key data points that admissions officers consider.

I recently spoke with Richard Battle-Baxter who currently works for Bloomingdales.com doing search engine marketing and is applying for his MBA for the 2011 fall semester.

Battle-Baxter (BB1) Because I wasn’t thinking about it the endpoint for me when I was in schools was just think about that I just need to graduate.In hindsight, I would have done better in my classes knowing that my transcript would count for something after college. So now that’s one of the hurdles that I’m facing right now.Making sure that I’m taking classes now and trying to do everything I can so that my undergraduate GPA isn’t what gets me rejected from any schools.

The answer on exactly when to start your application process depends on your strengths and weaknesses. The earlier you prepare, the more time you will have to address weaknesses in your application, such as a low undergraduate GPA, little work experience, or a low GMAT score, and fully highlight all your strengths, your unique character and why you should be admitted.

Here’s Massar.

Massar2 I always say ‘mind the gap.’If you’re not the perfect candidate, you take inventory, figure out where the gaps are and see where you can legitimately fill in the gaps. If one the ways that you want to fill in the gaps is through an alternative transcript, research and sign up for the courses that you think will be helpful to you.It’s important when you take these courses that you do well.For example, get A’s, because that will show anyone, including yourself, that you can actually do the work.If you just get a flat B or something like that it’s okay.You really want to excel, so when you take the course you want to make sure you have the time to study for the course.I would say start thinking about it a couple of years in advance so you can find the course that can work for you.For example a business statistics class or more than just one class, because you want to show you have some pattern of being able to go back to school and excel in quantitative fields.

Chris Smith – which is not his real name because of the sensitive nature of the work – is applying for his Executive MBA degree at UCLA.He’s been thinking about it for 10 years, but his career was going well, he kept advancing and he had a family.

Smith1 I had explored with my company their appetite for me getting a fully-employed MBA when I was a younger consultant.That at the time they did not have a program for that, but told me that they would consider it. But it wasn’t something they could guarantee and ultimately was told that it would not happen for me. And I needed to stay employed so I made a decision to keep on working instead of getting my MBA.

And in the meanwhile, Smith was building a resume that showed career progression and increased responsibilities.But what if you don’t have 10 years under your belt and you haven’t had many leadership opportunities?Here’s Massar.

Massar3 And a lot of people feel like they’re ready to show excellence, but they haven’t been able to do it,so it may take you a year to get some experience under your belt, event to switch into a job or industry that’s a little bit closer to what you think you’re capable of doing before you go to business school. So all of this argues for start as early as you can and also if you have the luxury of taking a couple of years to plan it out, then your options will always be greater.

Besides being an admissions consultant, Massar was successfully admitted to and graduated from Harvard with an MBA. She had a three year application process, because her ‘gap’ that she minded is taking the GMAT.

Massar4The other thing is that not everyone is the best test taker and it takes a long time to prepare for those tests. Some people can do it fast, but not everybody can do it and not everybody understands how to take the test.In my personal case, it took me 2 years to figure out how to take the test and eventually it worked out for me because I got over the 93rd percentile so that works. Because there’s so much information you need to break it down into very, very small chunks and feel like you can master it.

The other thing to remember about the GMAT is that your score is good for five years.And it bears repeating – the earlier the better.

If you have a gap, don’t be discouraged. Take a couple of years to close that gap – whether it be an alternative transcript to boost a low undergrad GPA, work on the GMAT, or gain more work experience and career progress.

Networking is another activity you can do as soon as the business school light bulb goes on.Talk to everyone you know and even those you don’t. Here’s Battle- Baxter, a real live applicant who is very entrepreneurial about his networking.

BB2 So the first thing I did when I decided to go to business school was try to find people in my immediate network who had been.And for me there wasn’t anybody. So once I realize that I wouldn’t be able to reach out directly to certain people, I figured that ‘okay, now I need to research online and try to connect with anybody that way.’Something for me that I’m really good at, I guess, is networking on line. I’ve made many friends online, so that was just a natural step for me.I found a couple websites and I started messaging certain people.I guess the first step for me was to look for anybody who could give me insight into what I was about to tackle.

Who better to give info than an insider?They can give you valuable information that you’re not going to find in the marketing videos about the school and be a resource. But networking takes time, so Battle-Baxter says the earlier you can begin this process the better because the more information you’ll have.

BB3 My advice would be to start the process early even if it’s attending MBA fairs and admissions events or having coffee or lunch with a current student at a school that you’re interest in.And one of the reasons why I think it’s important is because you’ll get to hone in on your story.You’ll be able to see people’s reactions when you say ‘I want to round out my background.’ ‘Cuz they make come back and say ‘what do you mean? and take that one step further.’ And even though you’re not in an interview, you’ll start to see what works and you’ll hear yourself say it over and over again.

From 2 years before applications are due to one yearout, maybe you’ve taken a class, received and A, and you’ve been talking to as many people as you can and forming relationships.You’ve been filling in your gaps.What do you start doing one year before applications are due? Graham Richmond from Clear Admit says determine your short-term and long-term career plans and then research.

Richmond2 It’s a means to an end and so they should think about what are their career plans, what would that ideal job be post-MBA. And once they’ve figured that out – they know they want to be a banker, a consultant, an entrepreneur – once they’ve done that, they can conduct school research and identify which schools are going to be well-suited to their achievement of that goal. And I think many candidates omit this step.They just say ‘oh, I want to go to business school’ and they sort of use that – that business school itself is the goal, but that’s not really the case.You should be thinking about your career plans, what makes sense for you, then conducting research, grading the schools in that discipline in that area.

A good rule of thumb is to identify 1 dream school, 2-3 realistic schools and 1 safety school to apply to.

BB4 So my list is not finalized. I have a long list of 6 schools, but I also have a short list. And the short list actually contains one school because that’s the school I going to be applying to early. I would say that I stopped adding schools to my list probably a couple of weeks ago.I’ve done so much research that I have a pretty good grasp on which schools I believe that I fit with. But if I realize that they’re not a fit for me then I’m just not gonna apply.It’s not that I’m going to then add another school because I’ve done so much research that there’s only a handful of schools that have the curriculum and extracurricular activities that I’m looking for. Here’s Battle-Baxter.

Richmond says once you have your schools, it’s time to visit.

Richmond3 So an ideal timeline would be in March you start thinking about it, perhaps you visit some schools while they’re still in session, which is great, get a campus feel and figure out which schools are higher on your list.

Massar has some tips about the school visit.

Massar5 You want to make sure you can schedule a long weekend so you can visit some classes.Again there’s nothing like sitting in on a class to give you a flavor of the kind of students and the kind of teaching methods.If you’ve never sat in on a case study, wow, you gotta do it.And UVA has full case study and of course Harvard we know has case studies and many other schools have case studies.And if you request that you want to go to a school, ask ‘can I sit in on a case methods course or an interactive course?’Otherwise, sit in on a class with a professor or an area of study that you think may appeal to you if you can do it.

Chris Smith sat in some executive MBA courses at UCLA.

Smith2 I really liked the learning environment of the executive MBA program.It’s comprised of people who were further along in their career whose profile matched mine in terms of experience and intellectual curiosity.I liked the interactive learning environment and getting exposed to material and concepts that I don’t get exposed to in my everyday work life.

And the visit is uber-important for determining the fit, because it’s where you’re going to live for two years and you want to make sure it’s somewhere that you’ll be happy living.That includes the professional concerns of Smith as well as personal concerns –here’s Battle-Baxter.

BB5 Being a gay applicant I really needed to research the LGBT communities at each of these schools. That’s something that I spent a lot of time trying to figure out. The information isn’t necessarily readily available on all of the websites.So that’s one of the things that I really reached out to the club presidents and different students, because it was of high importance to me.Especially coming from New York City and some of these schools are away from major metropolitan areas.

Battle-Baxter started a blog on January 1, the year he was applying so that he could document everything he did.

BB6 So when I would go and visit schools, I would come back home and immediately write the debrief of the school, calling out the people that I met, classes that I sat in on.It was really helpful for me to write about my experience in my GMAT class.I know that when it comes time to write essays next month, I’ll be able to drum up those feelings from when I was talking to someone from a certain school or I reached out to somebody or visited. It will just make it easier for me.

Other activities to undertake during the 1 year to 6 months prior to deadline day include: figuring out how you’re going to pay up to the six figure tuition and living costs; interviewing a consultant if you are going to use one as well as researching and interviewing GMAT providers and teachers.There are a lot of options and you want to engage with a program that works for you whether it’s online, on-on-one or you just need verbal help.

And what about the GMAT?

Richmond4 Most candidates should think about taking the test twice or at least budget time for that because many folks find that they improve their score the second time around.And the schools are open to candidates who take the test more than once, so that something you should leave time for, probably once in the early summer, once in the late summer.

Battle-Baxter was a little ahead of Richmond’s schedule and took the exam in May and is planning to retake it in August.

BB7 I would advise anyone who just thinks they want to apply to business school, get the GMAT over with as soon as possible.

Chris Smith, the other applicant still hasn’t taken the GMAT and might have to postpone his candidacy.

Smith3 Something that if I’d have to do it over again, I would have committed more time and effort to preparing for the GMAT ‘cuz I started late and I came to the conclusion that the amount of studying I would have to do to score how I wanted to score on the GMAT would require me to commit time that I didn’t have and focus that I didn’t have, probably more than time. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone on putting it off.I would say once you make the decision or there’s a 50% chance that you should go ahead and do an early evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses to prepare for the GMAT.Take some sample tests, which I didn’t do until recently.Then do focused study.

So at 5-6 months out you will have wanted to have at least a first crack at the GMAT. I’ll underscore the ‘at least.’At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the earlier the better with the GMAT, it’s good for five years.

After the GMAT it’s time to start with the actual application

Don’t forget about your resume, says Richmond.

Richmond5 You need to make sure your resume is appropriately positioned for the MBA admissions process. So writing a resume and drafting a goals statement is a great way to get started on the applications process, but also to think about your positioning – who you are. Obviously the one-page resume is a great way. It sort of forces you to distill your candidacy into a single page.When you see it on paper, these are the themes that are here and that can applied as you start to approach the larger task which is writing all of these essays that all these schools require.

And ideally drafts of those essays should begin 4- 6 months out so that in the last month, you’re soliciting feedback and refining the drafts.Closer to the deadline, but with plenty of time to spare, say 2-3 months out, you should be ordering your transcripts and if you haven’t contacted your potential recommenders during your networking activities, then Richmond says that about two months out is the latest that you want to start to approach them

Richmond6 The first thing you would do is make a list of everyone you could possibly think of that could write letters for you and then narrow that list down to 2 or 3 you’re gonna need for the process.Giving recommenders a heads up and at least one month lead time is very important because they’re busy and the letters are quite demanding. Each school has slightly different letter.They each ask about 5 to 10 questions. And so identifying and getting your recommenders on board and letting them know this is coming is important. So you’ve gotta do that.It’s vital. You do not want to approach your recommenders a week before the deadline, it will not work out well for anyone.

Smith tells of his application during the 6 months prior to application and it serves as a good checklist for the nuts and bolts of the actual application.

Smith4 First thing I did was I went online and did an overview of the application process.I contacted the admissions coordinator and talked to them about schedules about completing the application.For the executive MBA they’re pretty flexible.I then identified a list of people who I wanted to get recommendations together and get notices out to them that I’d like to get a recommendation from them.I went online and filled out the application, which asked me various questions about why I wanted to take the MBA.I had to fill out personal essays that were about me and my goals and how I’m going to benefit from the MBA, and why I would be a could candidate were other essays that I had to write as part of the application.And then filling out – there’s a series of questionnaires that you have to fill out as part of the application process and then getting transcripts from theuniversitiesthat I’ve attended and UCLA and have them submitted to the business school.

Once everything’s been stuffed in the envelope – literally or figuratively – and you think you’re done, you’re not. Richmond says there’s still a lot to do.

Richmond7 For better or for worse, it doesn’t really end when you submit the application and that because most schools have interviews that take place after you’ve applied.The majority of schools operate on an interview by invitation mode. So you will want to budget some time for interviews and to prepare for those interviews. They’ll usually take place in November if you’ve applied in October.The other thing is that some people don’t have time in the spring to visit their target MBA programs and so many will try to visit shortly after application or combine their visit with their interview. So it doesn’t really end there; there’s a lot to keep somebody busy after they’ve submitted just in terms ideally they’re invited to interview and they have to prepare for that. Continuing to engage with the MBA community, talking to students, maybe professors and just continuing to learn about the schools but also to position themselves and gain-have touch points with the programs.So it’s really a timeline that can extend well into the fall.

The main thing to remember is to start early, write out a calendar and download MBA Podcaster’s Step by Step Guide to Getting Into Business School from our website. It will give you detailed advice from admission’s directors, consultants, actual students and our own years of research to getting into your top school.

For more MBA information, to find a transcript of this show or to register for your bi-weekly MBA podcast visit MBAPodcaster.com.

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This is MBA Podcaster, I am Heidi Pickman.

Thanks for listening and be sure to tune in next time when we explore another topic of interest in your quest for an MBA.

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MBA Podcaster is your online source for information, insight, and advice on the MBA admission process. We deliver relevant information and advice through biweekly audio segments for those planning to apply for a Master in Business Administration. Topics include everything from a behind-the-scenes view of the admission process to post-MBA job opportunities and current market trends. Guests include Deans of various business schools, alumni, corporate recruiters, MBA consultants and more. On each segment we go in-depth on a particular topic of interest to an MBA applicant and interview relevant experts to help make your application process more efficient and successful. Listen for this week’s newest topic or browse our archive for the specific information you need to know. Drop us a line and tell us what you’d like to hear: info@mbapodcaster.com